Information processing apparatus and method

• US 20040139347A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakaguchi, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/14 against software analysis or reverse engineering, e.g. by obfuscation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption

Abstract

A nonvolatile memory stores encrypted data, which is obtained by linking and encrypting program data, in which combined data is compressed, and first information data indicating the number of programs contained in the combined data, and second information data indicating the size of each program. A CPU reads the encrypted data from the nonvolatile memory and decrypts the read encrypted data to restore the program data, the first information data and the second information data, after which the program data is decompressed to restore the combined data that is then stored in RAM. The CPU also creates a program management table for managing the respective programs based on the first and second information data, and stores the program management table in the RAM. The present invention is applicable to microcomputers.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

compression means for combining and compressing a plurality of data;

first generation means for generating first auxiliary data about said plurality of data; and

encryption means for encrypting said data compressed by said compression means together with said first auxiliary data generated by said first generation means to obtain encrypted data.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of data is a plurality of programs.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first auxiliary data is data about the number and size of said plurality of data.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

second generation means for generating second auxiliary data about said compressed data; and

storage means for storing said encrypted data and said second auxiliary data generated by said second generation means.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said second auxiliary data is data about the size of said compressed data.

6. An information processing method comprising:

a compression step of combining and compressing a plurality of data;

a generation step of generating auxiliary data about said plurality of data; and

a step of encrypting said data compressed in said compression step together with said auxiliary data generated in said generation step.

7. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

decryption means for decrypting encrypted data to restore compressed data, in which a plurality of data are combined and compressed, and auxiliary data about said plurality of data; and

decompression means for decompressing said compressed data.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of data is a plurality of programs.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary data is data about the number and size of said plurality of data.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

creation means for creating a management table about locations of said plurality of data based on said auxiliary data; and

memory means for storing said plurality of data and said management table created by said creation means.

11. An information processing method, comprising:

a decryption step of decrypting encrypted data to restore compressed data, in which a plurality of data are combined and compressed, and auxiliary data about said plurality of data; and

a decompression step of decompressing said compressed data.

12. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

compression means for combining and compressing a plurality of data;

first generation means for generating first auxiliary data about said plurality of data;

encryption means for encrypting said data compressed by said compression means together with said first auxiliary data generated by said first generation means;

second generation means for generating second auxiliary data about said compressed data;

storage means for storing said encrypted data and said second auxiliary data;

decryption means for decrypting said encrypted data stored in said storage means to restore said compressed data and said first auxiliary data;

decompression means for decompressing said compressed data;

selection means for selecting predetermined data from said plurality of data decompressed by said decompression means; and

execution means for executing said predetermined data selected by said selection means.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

creation means for creating a management table about locations of said plurality of data based on said second auxiliary data; and

memory means for storing said plurality of data decompressed by said decompression means and said management table created by said creation means.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said execution means executes processing of said predetermined data based on said management table stored in said memory means.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising communication means for instructing the initiation of a decryption process by said decryption means and a decompression process by said decompression means, and for notifying the termination of said decryption and decompression processes.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of data is a plurality of programs.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

said first auxiliary data is data about the number and size of said plurality of data;

and

said second auxiliary data is data about the size of said compressed data.

18. An information processing method comprising:

a compression step of combining and compressing a plurality of data;

a first generation step of generating first auxiliary data about said plurality of data;

an encryption step of encrypting said data compressed in said compression step together with said first auxiliary data generated in said first generation step;

a second generation step of generating second auxiliary data about said compressed data;

a storage step of storing said encrypted data and said second auxiliary data;

a decryption step of decrypting said encrypted data stored in said storage step to restore said compressed data and said first auxiliary data;

a decompression step of decompressing said compressed data;

a selection step of selecting predetermined data from said plurality of data decompressed in said decompression step; and

an execution step of executing said predetermined data selected in said selection step.